Archery

Archery GB is the governing body for the sport of archery in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Get into Archery

Archery is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. There are many ways you can get involved and progress in the sport as an archer, leader, coach, judge or club volunteer.

It is a very sociable sport and provides the opportunity to join a club, shoot in a social setting and participate in friendly club and inter-club competitions (indoor in winter, outdoor in summer). Whatever your need, you will find that archery provides a balance between fun and fitness no matter what your ability.

Archery provides four disciplines:

Target archery is the most popular form of archery, in which members shoot at stationary circular targets at varying distances and is practiced indoor and outdoor

Field archery involves shooting at targets of varying (sometimes unmarked) distance, often in woodland and rough terrain

Clout is a form where archers shoot at a flag (known as "the Clout") from a relatively long distance and score points depending on how close each arrow lands

In flight archery the aim is to shoot the greatest distance and requires a large flat area such as an aerodrome

How do I get involved?

Anyone interested in taking up archery can contact their local club by using Archery GB’s Club Finder. With over 1240 clubs in the UK, there will be one not too far away.

In order to join an archery club, you are typically asked to take part in a beginner’s course run by the club. This usually consists of four to six introductory lessons, covering a basic understanding of technique and disciplines for shooting in safety and with relative accuracy. Courses will be organised and supervised by experienced archers and could be held indoors or outdoors.

Interested in setting up an archery club?

Support for existing clubs

Archery GB’s club development programme – ontarget, has been running for a number of years and provides support by recognising and rewarding clubs already working hard and encourages them to develop areas of the sport that need improving.

How do I become a coach/leader?

To get started in coaching all you need to be is enthusiastic about archery and the progression of others. The following 2 archery awards train participants to work with beginners:

Instructor Award - This is our new entry level training course specifically designed for people working in leisure, recreation and educational environments, now and in the future. To find a course, please visit www.sportstructures.com/archery.

Level 1 Award in Coaching Archery - If you are a club archer or active volunteer who is enthusiastic about introducing new people to the sport and helping them to improve, then the Level 1 Award in Coaching Archery will give you all the skills, experience and resources that you need.

Archery Handy Guides

We have created a series of Handy Guides to help promote archery and support clubs.